· 200 comments · Save ·
News & Current Events May 11, 2026 at 9:23 PM

UAE has been secretly carrying out attacks on Iran, WSJ reports

Posted by RolePsychological890

🚩 Report this post

200 Comments

Sign in to comment — or just click the box below.
🔒 Your email is never shown publicly.
Caesarea_G May 11, 2026 +6961
It wasn't all *that* secret. They used Mirages (which neither Israel nor the US operates!), the US and Israel both denied the attack, and it occurred in retaliation to an Iranian attack on the UAE (and also provoked yet another Iranian retaliatory strike on the UAE).
6961
supershinythings May 11, 2026 +2683
I see UAE putting in orders for Ukrainian drone tech. The Ukrainian defense industry has the best QA department in the world right now.
2683
Consistent_Pitch782 May 12, 2026 +1039
Yeah matching Ukrainian drone tech and expertise with oil money from the Middle East is going to be interesting to see. Drone production hasn’t matched Ukraine’s needs, but it very well could within a year if the money starts flowing.
1039
Rand_alThor4747 May 12, 2026 +361
Handy thing for Ukraines drone tech is their drones are c****. Other country's who develop drones should look in to that too. Making hundreds of thousands of c**** drones is far more effective than just thousands of cutting edge tech ones. Although the high tech ones have a use too. But you can't wage a war with only those
361
ZiKyooc May 12, 2026 +257
Not only c****, but they can adapt them very quickly to new tactics and tech used by Russia. No years long R&D with procurement committees and whatnot to get next gen in a decade or so.
257
SomeDudeYeah27 May 12, 2026 +69
Man that’s so interesting (despite the obvious morbid undertones of war) Is there accessible news sources that cover this area? I’ve been interested in updating my drone and bot tech news but I’m not sure what’s reliably objective and what’s overhype
69
Josephalan1 May 12, 2026 +55
Ukraine has a new service branch for uncrewed systems. You could try following their socials, news page, or just googling around once every week or two.
55
portucheese May 12, 2026 +4
what's their name
4
Josephalan1 May 12, 2026 +10
"Unmanned Systems Forces." They cover air, sea, and ground. China also has some impressive systems, though they're not as well publicized in the West.
10
MelangeBot May 12, 2026 +8
It was fun to see all the forks of ELRS pop up on github early in the war. ELRS is the dominant radio control system for anything fpv, be it helicopters, quadcopters or fixed wing. But the developers have always refused to implement encryption. So those where all forks that added encryption and it was clear that development was 100% driven from Ukraine.
8
P1zzaBag3ls May 12, 2026 +14
If it isn't in Janes, did anyone really die?
14
Quiet_Ad6925 May 12, 2026 +34
Reminds me of how agile the us was in ww2, look at us now. You either die a hero or live long enough to watch yourself become the villain- Harvey Dent
34
BonerTurds May 12, 2026 +8
\- Wayne Gretzky
8
DaSaw May 12, 2026 +9
\- Abraham Lincoln
9
just_a_knowbody May 12, 2026 +6
\- Sun Tzu
6
Uncool444 May 12, 2026 +4
-- Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 9
4
Afraid_Theorist May 12, 2026 +4
Not to be cynical but that’s exactly why countries don’t buy c**** though. Procurement is a whole industry practically in itself. At least until a major war kicks off (that the country is involved in).
4
woodsidestory May 12, 2026 +42
**“Never put all your eggs in one basket”** That said, exactly where does Turkey’s drones fit into this? Somehow they have been silent participants for some time now.
42
TheBendit May 12, 2026 +31
If you mean the Bayraktars, their primary tagets are tanks and other vehicles. Those are pretty much gone from the frontlines. Long distance drone strikes into Russia are suicide missions, and the Bayraktars are too expensive for that. They could be used against individual soldiers, but the missiles they carry are too expensive for that and they would be relatively easy targets. Ukraine spends something like 9000 drones a day, and Bayraktars are not affordable enough for that kind of use. It is likely that they are used for monitoring well behind the front lines, but that is not the kind of use which gets clicks on YouTube or reports in the news.
31
Ambitious_Wolf_3116 May 12, 2026 +6
Pakistan used turkish drones in the last war with india. Some of them did cross the frontlines and got through air defenses to do suicide bombings in our cities. India did the same but with indigenous drones and some israeli ones. I don't think pakistan used the bayraktar model, but turkey does seem to have other drones that are still useful in modern war and not just for taking out tanks.
6
MindlessNectarine374 May 12, 2026 +3
When was that war?
3
Ambitious_Wolf_3116 May 12, 2026 +9
Last year may Man 2025 was so weird with so many wars, at first even i couldn't recall the date of my country's war lol
9
gc11117 May 12, 2026 +6
Remember when Pakistan went to war with Afghanistan? Was that this year or last year? Too many wars to count lol
6
beruon May 12, 2026 +46
Turkey is your Volkswagen and Ford. They make your mid-price mid-quality drones. Ukraine is stuff like Dacia, making the cheapest not fancy, but working ones, and the US is the Ferrari, making the superfancy and flashy drones.
46
SlimSyko May 12, 2026 +11
That makes sense, a car gets you from point A to point B. If you want a fancy car it’s more expensive but they all basically do the same thing, just some are more expensive than others and has more bells and whistles.
11
beruon May 12, 2026 +12
Exactly. Dacias and Ladas are c****, no extras, kinda "do the job but nothing more". Fords and Volkswagens can afford some fancy shit (Like Bayraktars being good anti-armor etc). Then you got your superfancy Lambos and Ferraris (Reaper and Predator drones)
12
BestFriendWatermelon May 12, 2026 +8
You already got some answers. The Turkish ones are multi million dollar drones with several metre wingspans, armed with missiles for shooting at stuff exactly like jets. These are useless in Ukraine/Iran now because air defence is too thick and they're too expensive. Ukraine is making suicide drones of all sizes. Big ones that act like a c**** cruise missile, small ones like a anti tank missile or even a guided grenade. But the ones the Arab states are really interested in are Ukraine's interceptor drones. High speed quadcoptors that travel at over 400km/hr. They chase down larger enemy drones, aircraft etc like the Shahed and blow them up. The new ones Ukraine uses use AI for target acquisition and guidance, making them completely fire and forget. These cost a few thousand dollars and destroy Shaheds just as easily as a £5 million patriot missile.
8
woodsidestory May 12, 2026 +3
You just piqued my curiosity. 👍🏼😎
3
supershinythings May 12, 2026 +42
Why buy American missiles at $1 million a pop when they can buy thousands of intercepting, attack, defense, recon drones? And Ukraine can send out packages - mother ship drones to deliver explosive drones, combined with recon drones to locate and identify targets, patrol drones, even rescue drones - they can operate in the air, in water, even track drones on the ground to deliver supplies or retrieve wounded or dead. They can do this all at far better price points than current US solutions. This battlefield is evolving and changing all warfare everywhere forever. And it’s fairly c**** comparatively to buy in. I bet India has a dozen labs filled with engineers developing their own drone tech. A new tech arms race is here.
42
Rusty-Shackleford May 12, 2026 +18
I think we're going to find out in a few years just how overpriced those American missiles are ...
18
BrocoLeeOnReddit May 12, 2026 +27
We don't need to find out anything, we already know that the contractor overhead in the US is insane, there have been multiple reports on that. Publicly traded companies have an obligation to extract as much value as possible from their customers (including the US government).
27
Rand_alThor4747 May 12, 2026 +13
And the US government are all too happy to pay that. They should be trying to drive the price down. But instead seems to just be here's a blank check add as many zeroes as you like.
13
BrocoLeeOnReddit May 12, 2026 +13
Revolving doors and campaign contributions might play a role in that but that's only a very far fetched assumption of course.
13
wbruce098 May 12, 2026 +3
A lot of American military hardware (tomahawks, fighters, tanks, etc) is based on theoretical capabilities of a nation they never went directly to war with. It’s based on 80 years of Cold War against Russia, who was spending almost as much to develop, in theory, potentially as lethal capabilities, combined with modern competition against China, who decided they could build similar-but-cheaper versions of American military tech. Granted, the 25 years of global war on terror has also resulted in similar revolutionary tech, but at cost because the US could afford to sink the money into it but it looked really really bad to have American troops and armored vehicles blown up by pipe bombs made in some shack by the son of someone who fought against them. That’s a different kind of tech as well, and works but was intended to be effective, not c****. And stuff like better armor, enhanced surveillance, and data analysis to find and aim a weapon at a bad guy isn’t exactly s*** headline making stuff like a bayraktar is. Ukraine’s tech is based on desperation and immediate battlefield testing with limited resources during the largest combat operation in Europe since world war 2, against a massively larger and better equipped foe. It’s been four years and Russia hasn’t given up (in part because today peace would bankrupt their economy and force them to confront their atrocities). But they’ve been basically at a standstill for years now, which is why Russia is sending expensive hypersonics to Ukrainian apartment complexes and schools. Because those weapons aren’t effective against the front lines. The result will likely be an affordable, probably drone based, hypersonic defense system that negates the most powerful and expensive weapons of Russia, China, and the US for a generation.
3
Ill-Breadfruit5356 May 12, 2026 +11
Against an opponent with limited air defences this approach is definitely right. The Middle East war has boosted Russia’s cash flow (which many suspect was a covert aim all along) but the massive investment in Ukrainian drone technology will have been unforeseen by Trump or Moscow. Which is quite heartening
11
mothtoalamp May 12, 2026 +26
When the c**** part is hardware and the expensive part is software, scalability becomes extremely powerful.
26
hubril May 12, 2026 +101
4206769 IQ move by Trump to secretly supply Ukraine with aid /s
101
gregn8r1 May 12, 2026 +78
Oh yes, while simultaneously depriving Russia of it's Iranian made drones. Trump's really playing 4-D chess on this one
78
Mana_Seeker May 12, 2026 +78
While simultaneously uniting NATO and swiftening the transition to clean energy 5D-chessing
78
aw-un May 12, 2026 +40
He’s so right wing he accidentally made the loop around to being left wing
40
SomeDudeYeah27 May 12, 2026 +13
Time will tell whether the accelerationist types will feel vindicated or act swindled by this
13
Mikeg216 May 12, 2026 +31
Not only is he the biggest driver of guns and ammo sales since Obama and Y2K. He also single-handedly proved why NATO is more relevant today than ever. And will single-handedly push the entire globe towards renewable power and EVs. If only so a ham fisted cluster f*** like this never happens again. Billionaires only fail upwards. But this is exceptional... Breathtaking really
31
BuckThis86 May 12, 2026 +41
It’s great for the developed world, who the UAE and the Saudis seem to have sided with. It could be an alternate source of drone supply for Europe
41
Koshathenavycat May 12, 2026 +27
They haven't sided with. You forget that in global politics there aren't friends only common objectives, and goals.
27
Axsmith234 May 12, 2026 +75
There are no winners in war, may god have mercy on all of us. This screams WW3
75
DiRtY_DaNiE1 May 12, 2026 +44
Nah, it screams everyone vs a failed state terrorist dictatorship
44
Lemox86 May 12, 2026 +51
Do You Have the Slightest Idea How Little That Narrows It Down? /S
51
Nisseliten May 12, 2026 +32
The US?..
32
3BlindMice1 May 12, 2026 +21
It's basically impossible to attack the American mainland. The best they can do is nibble at our overseas assets. I was about to throw in a good "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome person" but I figured it wasn't worth it
21
NotTheBusDriver May 12, 2026 +44
Are you kidding? They fired a clown directly into the White House.
44
3BlindMice1 May 12, 2026 +12
Ba dum tss But yeah, you got me there
12
Jthe1andOnly May 12, 2026 +44
They didn’t even need to attack US. We have been slowly tearing ourselves apart without a single missile being fired at us. The long game has been working. All the while still making money off of us at the same time.
44
4art4 May 12, 2026 +3
Exacerbated by foreign influence campaigns on social media.
3
absurd_whale May 12, 2026 +5
Should I explain that for Russian who occupied my f****** hometown? They surely will agree that war is bad and there is no winners.
5
shewflyshew May 12, 2026 +270
No doubt. They have the best, most seasoned Army in the world right now. With Germany partnering with them in weapons development they are already a step ahead of the US.
270
swallowsnest87 May 12, 2026 +63
As much as I wish you were right neither is a step ahead of the US and many of the highest tech missile systems do not operate without US/Russ/China satellite infrastructure to support.
63
My_Invalid_Username May 12, 2026 +36
Be realistic. Most seasoned by capita yeah probably so. But best? Nah. Highly outperforming expectations. Huge fan. But they're less capable on a whole than Russia and Russia isn't even the best army so no they're not the best in the world. Best drone forces? For sure
36
ZachF8119 May 12, 2026 +74
You mean the country that’s supplied a ton of arms to Ukraine? Not even their most top of line.
74
Mewhomewhy May 12, 2026 +161
The ones that Biden supplied. That hasn’t happened for a long time now.
161
ZachF8119 May 12, 2026 +58
USA: 45% of major arms, with over $65 billion in total military assistance provided by January 2025. Pretty sure 45% is a lot.
58
RyoCanCan May 12, 2026 +133
Isn't that figure over the whole war? Biden gave massive support that was halted after Trump came in. What are the figures year-by-year?
133
kmoffat May 12, 2026 +134
The US is providing almost nothing to Ukraine now except for what it allows European countries to buy for them
134
Firm-Advertising5396 May 12, 2026 +96
Not even moral support, that's asking a lot from a president who has no morals or integrity.🤡🤡🤡
96
Automatic_Bat_4824 May 12, 2026 +7
You cannot expect moral support from a man who has no morals and this US president has demonstrated an abundance of immorality.
7
Dash_Harber May 12, 2026 +13
It allows Ukraine to negotiate with its friends and allies without US interbention? How benevolent.
13
SuzQP May 12, 2026 +28
I think you mean "benebolent."
28
FNSMatt May 12, 2026 +13
They are still receiving US weaponry, but now Europeans are paying for the weapons as opposed to it being open ended donations.
13
Sleddoggamer May 12, 2026 +13
Ukraine might still have better QA just because the lemons are gone and they have active experience. I can't actually tell if the people making clear mistakes like that are pro-Ukrainian nationalists who feel the need to parrot media, if its just because the wars been goung on way to long now and this is the depth of thought we have, or if some of them are pro Russian bots trying to help discredit
13
Forcedperspective84 May 12, 2026 +4
They earned it, too. Let's get these folks in the EU and stick it to Putin's Russia, Iran, and all the other bullshit marriages of convenience in that region.
4
OneTwoThreePooAndPee May 12, 2026 +13
Ukraine is going to become the military heart of the new European alliance, whether that's some NATO replacement or joining the EU formally.
13
supershinythings May 12, 2026 +11
Nobody can say they didn’t earn it. They bring serious real value to the table. And with Hungary’s change of leadership, is there anyone left who would object to Ukraine joining the EU? Trump being Putin’s lapdog with his throat still gargling Putin’s shaft probably wouldn’t accept Ukraine joining NATO, but by getting them into the EU, a whole universe opens up. And then after that, open their borders internally into the Schengen region, followed by the Euro currency, would be AWESOME. One thing at a time though. The most interesting thing Ukraine did was destroy Russia’s justification for wanting a “buffer zone”. Ukraine can hit Russia pretty much anywhere on that entire land mass without risking any of their own people. A buffer zone for Russia is now rendered completely useless because it gives a false sense of security - buffer shmuffer, Ukraine can hit any target anywhere in Russia, AND THEY HAVE. ANYWHERE. There is no safe place to stash anything of strategic value anymore. That whole open land mass that used to be a physical barrier is now a full-on liability. By hitting the large bomber planes Ukraine relieved Europe of some of its anxiety with respect to the Russian threat. With the new technology Russia can’t really attack without expecting serious retaliation, especially if Ukraine arms Finland, the Baltics, Poland, and anyone else with the ability to field drones on air, in water, and even on the ground. And Russia caused this new evolution in military warfare doctrine by attacking the very people who understand the Russian mindset best and therefore know exactly how best to rattle them. Anyone fielding Russian tech - like India - ought to take a good hard look at what just happened. Ukraine is giving a clinic on how to dismantle the once feared Russian war machine. They are now, at best, paper tigers.
11
Vimmelklantig May 12, 2026 +9
>And with Hungary’s change of leadership, is there anyone left who would object to Ukraine joining the EU? Lots of EU countries would as things stand now. First and foremost it would drag the EU into a direct war with Russia as we have a common defence clause that's even stronger than NATO's article five. But even when the war ends Ukraine doesn't fulfil the criteria for joining, politically and economically. They've made admirable progress since they kicked out Yanukovych, but they're not there yet and the war is of course making it difficult to move closer. They're also a very big and very poor country. They'd be soaking up a lot of EU funds, which would be taken from other poorer EU nations. There's very little appetite from the wealthier countries to contribute more at the moment. Then there are issues like European farmers suddenly having direct competition with Ukranian colleagues cultivating the most fertile land on the continent, and they would of course lose subsidies to Ukranian agriculture as well. TL;DR: It's going to take years. Ukraine needs to be out of the war and prove to have a stable political and economic situation.
9
Nav_Blue_Coolant May 12, 2026 +6
That’s actually pretty cool
6
mcvos May 12, 2026 +3
I hope Ukraine prices them at "give one get one" levels: every drone bought from Ukraine should fund another drone for Ukraine. They've got the production capacity, but they need more money.
3
MatsNorway85 May 12, 2026 +3
UAE money dumping drones on Iran could be an epic shitstorm. Drones are so easy to produce and so low workload its just money/production capacity really. And UAE got the dollars.
3
elgydium May 12, 2026 +4
Quality assurance?
4
supershinythings May 12, 2026 +12
QA evaluates the design and can test its efficacy in the field on real test subjects. If it fails, they can send the footage to the developers to remediate. If it works, they have validated the design and verified any fixes. That’s QA.
12
elgydium May 12, 2026 +3
Very nicely put
3
Ok-Delivery216 May 12, 2026 +85
I think this is one of the main reasons UAE dipped out on OPEC after more than 50 years. Also to produce as much oil as they pleased. I think they’re gonna get a lot out of this debacle in the end and we’re gonna get a fat bill.
85
Nukes-For-Nimbys May 12, 2026 +27
There are some islands that Iran currently control that are claimed by the UAE. This is probably their only chance to take em back.
27
MackinSauce May 12, 2026 +3
yeah that’s not happening
3
No_Balls_01 May 12, 2026 +83
Hijacking the top comment in hopes for an explanation of what Mirages means in this context.
83
DirkTurgid May 12, 2026 +132
It's a type of French fighter aircraft, I guess only UAE uses them in the region at the moment.
132
SamkonTheMankon May 12, 2026 +129
The Dassault Mirage is a French manufactured fighter jet.
129
flatfisher May 12, 2026 +5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault_Mirage_2000, predecessor of the Dassault Rafale
5
Frankie-Felix May 12, 2026 +69
Ancient Mesopotamian magic that creates illusions.
69
No_Balls_01 May 12, 2026 +23
Exactly as I’ve suspected!
23
PruneJaw May 12, 2026 +9
Iran is gonna be pissed when they find out that they mined a mirage and not the strait.
9
CastleElsinore May 12, 2026 +53
We all saw the video of Iran almost hitting the Burj Khalifa. If anyone thinks the UAE was going to back down after that, they are either crazy or know zero things about the middle east. The UAE wants the IRGC gone
53
BadVoices May 12, 2026 +3
Not entirely incorrect, but i'd like to point out there are 5+ Israeli built Mirages (F-21 Kfirs) and 80+ other Mirages on contract in US inventory. Operated by Draken and ATAC, part of Textron under US military contract. There are more operating mirages in US inventory than anywhere else in the world.
3
fotomoose May 12, 2026 +2
It's all so f****** dumb. Iran attacks UAE so UAE retaliates, Iran cries that they were attacked so attacks back, rinse repeat.
2
Atticus_Spiderjump May 11, 2026 +1322
Don't worry I won't tell anyone
1322
Tbanks93 May 12, 2026 +89
Word
89
Intrepid_Hat7359 May 12, 2026 +13
Excel
13
jooooooohn May 12, 2026 +3
Me either man!!
3
dombag85 May 11, 2026 +484
Not much of a secret anymore
484
AndrewBert109 May 12, 2026 +140
As long as none of us tell anyone maybe we can keep the lid on this thing that everyone pretty much already knew was happening
140
dombag85 May 12, 2026 +46
I’ll try to keep the secret attacks on Iran by the UAE on the down low.
46
Feeling-Ad-2490 May 12, 2026 +25
Thats it. Who blabbed?
25
x0rg_new May 12, 2026 +3
They offered me free candy 😔
3
LordSqueemish May 12, 2026 +433
No, I’m no longer an expert on the hantavirus, I’m back to being an expect on Middle East relations again.
433
inorite234 May 12, 2026 +63
WTF is a Hentivirus????
63
chefschocker81 May 12, 2026 +117
Hentaivirus??? What’s that?
117
misterkalazar May 12, 2026 +75
People inadvertently say "yamate kudasaaai" out loud in a high pitched voice. Only affects adults.
75
namitynamenamey May 12, 2026 +11
I saw one season of hamtaro, it checks out.
11
Whole-Cookie-7754 May 12, 2026 +8
That's how I've been calling it ever seems reading about it. It's fun seeing when some doesn't react, and even more fun other do. 
8
TotallyNotRocket May 12, 2026 +6
I'm just here to warn everyone about the [Pipistrel Virus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipistrel_Virus)
6
Real_Satisfaction715 May 12, 2026 +3
Jfc. I hope this doesnt become airborne.
3
Beneficial-Cycle7727 May 12, 2026 +166
I hate that Reuters became a pay site.
166
chickenskittles May 12, 2026 +83
All the goddamn news is paywalled because the peasants don't need to know what's going on in the world. Just keep turning, cogs! 🤬
83
solaranvil May 12, 2026 +55
It's especially problematic because the overtly right wing "news" sources like Fox News are free.
55
xternal7 May 12, 2026 +10
The reason fox news is free and reuters isn't is that rich people won't pay you for spreading their agenda if you don't spread their agenda.
10
LughCrow May 12, 2026 +66
Secret is doing a lot of heavy lifting
66
ZenkaiZ May 12, 2026 +3
NOBODY SNITCH
3
lordlebu May 12, 2026 +20
If it's secret, how do they know ?
20
IntelArtiGen May 11, 2026 +856
Yeah I'm not surprised, they've been striked hundreds of times by Iran. I don't see why they don't entirely ackowledge it, they obviously have the right to defend their country. If Iran thinks they can destroy refineries in the UAE without consequences, why would they stop?
856
Madbrad200 May 11, 2026 +398
> . I don't see why they don't entirely ackowledge it, they obviously have the right to defend their country Because then Iran has to publicly acknowledge it, which means Iran then has to save face, which then leads to escalation. A silent strike sends the intended message. Destroy your target, Iranian government knows full well who did it, move on. The message doesn't need to be publicised.
398
Dotcaprachiappa May 12, 2026 +12
War is so strange. I know I did it, you know I did it, they know I did it. But I can't tell them I did it because then they'll know you know I did it and expect an answer
12
IntelArtiGen May 11, 2026 +43
> which means Iran then has to save face Honestly 1 strike vs 100 I think their face is still saved on this. But you're right it would be escalation, even more now "after the war" (the hot part).
43
SitMeDownShutMeUp May 12, 2026 +5
Leaves the door open for an outcome where they team up together Crazier alliances have emerged in the past
5
omniuni May 12, 2026 +266
For decades, they have maintained a publicly unified face against Israel. However, many of the countries secretly have kind of accepted that Israel isn't going anywhere, and also that they're not really that bad to work with. But after many years of teaching the people that the Jews are the Enemy, it's difficult to just change course. The UAE officially made peace during the COVID times, largely because Hamas spurned them, making it much more convenient, politically, to break from tradition. Many of these countries haven't *really* had a problem with Israel in years. On the other hand, the terrorist organizations have been a constant thorn. There's a very good reason that while the rest of the world was busy villainizing Israel over the last few years, the other Arab nations didn't join in to "help Gaza". They were well aware that Israel was going after Hamas, as as sticky as that situation was, most of them were just glad to see Israel doing the dirty work. It's why Egypt never helped deliver any aid, and why the UAE maintained regular commercial flights to and from Israel. It's still difficult for Arab countries to take public action against terrorists they used to be allied with, but when those terrorists begin to publicly attack them, it slowly becomes easier. Also, you can start to see a pattern. Israel fought a war literally next to Egypt, yet the peace between the countries remains strong. Israel and the UAE remain on good terms, with active investment between the countries, and now we can see even military cooperation. Israel and Saudi Arabia are collaborating on a new major oil pipeline that will circumvent Iran. Israel is quietly working with the government in Lebanon against Hezbollah. Tides are turning. It's just something that isn't very public yet.
266
IntelArtiGen May 12, 2026 +70
Yeah and it's not even a surprise for saudi arabia. They've also been attacked by Iran directly in 2019, and they're fighting in Yemen against an ally of Iran. These countries know where their enemy is. And recent events where Iran directly and massively attacked them instead of at least focusing on US bases clearly won't help. This war still hasn't solve all this and if it's not solved now, it probably will need to be solved in the future.
70
CastleElsinore May 12, 2026 +61
It gives them political coverage too - they don't have to worry about Syria, Israel went in when the new government attacked the Kurds. Israel is targeting Hezbolla, an Iran backed non state actor that traffics, among other things, underage sex slaves. But then its someone other then a Muslim government working on the problem. The UAE benefits from stability and a high tech neighbor who wants to exist peacefully. Shipping lanes, trade partnerships, medical tech - these are all things that don't happen in places that are anti-science or have warlords in charge.
61
dammanhwhy May 12, 2026 +16
First of all, Israel went in when the Syrian government attacked the Druze. Israel and the Americans stood and watched when the Kurds collapsed. It was a tacit green flag given to the Syrian government. Also, the UAE isn’t worried about the new Syria. They’ve invested billions in the rebuilding of Syria and have very friendly relations with the new government. It is a bit embarrassing to talk good about the UAE whilst simultaneously disavowing sexual slavery. The UAE is not exactly great when it comes to any sorts of rights. They have hundreds of thousands of south asian workers who are slaving away for almost no money. That is how the UAE was built. Also, The UAE is actively backing the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan which have gone on a raping and murdering spree in Sudan for a few years now. The UAE is an autocratic dictatorship that brutally cracks down on internal dissent. The only reason they fight against political Islam is because they see it as threat to their own stability.
16
Ambitious_End5038 May 12, 2026 +59
Smartest post I’ve seen on Listnook in weeks. Well done.
59
alltheblarmyfiddlest May 12, 2026 +3
It was also witnessed, the quiet alliance, when Israels missiles against Iran last summer went through airspace in certain Arab countries with their blessing. And some of them even helped shoot Irans missiles out of the sky before they got to Israel. Publically, it's a cold deference. But privately it was another story. And the actions spoke volumes. The countries in MENA are sick and tired of the IRGC/Islamic Republic s obnoxious antics and unnecessary chaos.
3
LurkerNan May 12, 2026 +5
It sounds like strong economic prosperity is helping calm the differences between former enemies. Capitalism wins.
5
echolm1407 May 12, 2026 +18
UAE is actually part of the war. Not really a news item.
18
wgrantdesign May 12, 2026 +41
Www.noshit.com
41
bigFr00t May 11, 2026 +337
Reuters citing wsj citing people familiar with the matter
337
Every-Pollution413 May 11, 2026 +259
Reuters (alongside AP and maybe one or two other wire sources) is one of the sources that quote unquote "mainstream" news use to cite their claims. They're one of the most unbiased news aggregators on the planet. If they're citing the WSJ, that means that Reuters has identified a WSJ source that is worthy of being cited non discriminately by other news sources that rely on Reuters. It's an incestuous circle that, in this instance, can pretty definitively be used to prove that the UAE has genuinely been bombing Iran. That is undeniably a big deal.
259
bigFr00t May 12, 2026 +16
Yeah I don’t actually doubt them I usually trust Reuters
16
WCland May 12, 2026 +39
The term “people familiar with the matter” is used in journalism when the sources don’t want to be publicly identified. In this case, a WSJ reporter has some people in the UAE government or military willing to talk. The reporter doesn’t want to burn these sources because they can provide more insider info in the future. From the tone of your comment, you sound skeptical of the sources and reporting. The thing is, reporters for outlets with good reputations are professionals, and take their work as seriously as doctors and scientists. It’s very MAGA to deny professional expertise.
39
Trappist1 May 11, 2026 +63
Well... I'm vaguely cognizant of the issue after reading Reuters, so they can cite me next.
63
This_is_me2024 May 11, 2026 +53
Dont worry, the buzz feed ai scrapers will. One listnookor described the situation as "One that I'm vaguely cognizant of".
53
Oraxy51 May 12, 2026 +15
*Sponsored by Ground News*
15
reineedshelp May 12, 2026 +7
Quoting Listnookors is a darkly hilarious concept to me. 'Here's a cherry picked or AI-aggregated statement from some guy online. The odds of them being real, acting in good faith, or remotely knowledgeable on the subject are small. Next up, 90% of surveyed grandmothers insist you need to eat more; do we have an eating disorder epidemic?'
7
Diamondback424 May 11, 2026 +73
Reuters is basically the gold standard for unbiased, factual reporting. They wouldn't have published this without a good source.
73
themanwiththeOZ May 11, 2026 +9
This is why nobody can keep a secret.
9
green_flash May 11, 2026 +6
WSJ article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-u-a-e-has-been-secretly-carrying-out-attacks-on-iran-f1745a0d
6
Tugboat47 May 11, 2026 +78
add this to man citys 130 charges
78
Kdzoom35 May 11, 2026 +26
Relegate them.
26
Tugboat47 May 11, 2026 +7
from the entire footballing pyramid
7
Kdzoom35 May 11, 2026 +8
That's fine with me.
8
Daddy--Jeff May 12, 2026 +46
Well, Iran has been lobbing bombs at UAE…. Not a surprise.
46
timoumd May 12, 2026 +12
Exactly.  If I'm UAE damn right I'm hitting back
12
torina-to May 11, 2026 +67
UAE is done giving fucks
67
Violingirl58 May 12, 2026 +9
I don’t think it was all that secret…
9
simAlity May 12, 2026 +17
Just in time for the stock market futures to respond
17
slayermcb May 12, 2026 +3
I thought that was on Tuesdays?
3
Junior_Trash_1393 May 12, 2026 +6
The whole world is arming up. That typically leads to one outcome and it’s not good.
6
Zarathustra_d May 12, 2026 +5
What, like a war, where the whole world is involved? So we even have a name for that? Seems unlikely, let's just keep starting wars for C***** capitalism. What could go wrong.
5
DDoubleDDog May 11, 2026 +24
So that's what all those mysterious "gas explosions" were.
24
rammstoon May 12, 2026 +16
I told you to not have all that taco bell
16
commdesart May 12, 2026 +15
Like so secret even Iran doesn’t know?
15
Icy-person666 May 12, 2026 +14
The world has been burning since the world been turning...
14
Ricklames May 12, 2026 +29
I mean, shouldn’t they? Iran is striking their infrastructure so surely they should rely on their own forces to retaliate. This is military 101. In what world does a country with an ability to strike back not retaliate?
29
Ok-Doubt-6324 May 11, 2026 +5
Calls on Dassault Aviation.
5
CopyDan May 12, 2026 +6
Well, I’m never telling The Wall Street Journal a secret. Those guys blab.
6
BoldNewBranFlakes May 12, 2026 +5
“Secret” I thought anyone who knew the history between the UAE and Iran already knew they were doing this?
5
OneSignal6465 May 12, 2026 +8
I can’t wait for this war to end. The Ukraine will be THE place in the world to buy drones..
8
euroaustralian May 12, 2026 +4
And they are also leaders in artificial limb development.
4
Highlandertr3 May 12, 2026 +22
How the f*** do you secretly attack a country. Let's ask Israel.
22
SpectralVoodoo May 12, 2026 +14
What kind of bullshit headline is this? "UAE has been quietly retaliating against Iranian attacks"
14
1PennyHardaway May 12, 2026 +4
Well, it isn’t secret anymore!
4
waffle-paladin1 May 12, 2026 +4
Thanks for looping me and 5.1 million friends in on the secret WSJ
4
Hesychios May 12, 2026 +7
The region is a hot mess
7
LoadsDroppin May 12, 2026 +11
UAE = Jared Kushner. Am I the only person NOT getting rich off this????
11
Sandover5252 May 12, 2026 +11
When can we just kick all the assholes out? I am really just pissed I forgot to turn the light out in the closet and have to get back out of bed again, but the shit never f****** ends.
11
SumoHeadbutt May 12, 2026 +10
Begun, the Drone War has
10
recoveredcrush May 12, 2026 +6
"secretly"
6
compuwiza1 May 12, 2026 +3
Not a secret now.
3
JustAnAce May 12, 2026 +7
I was not aware that the UAE doesn't like Iran. But I do live under a rock.
7
Few-Statistician8740 May 12, 2026 +25
Nobody likes Iran.
25
TacomaKMart May 12, 2026 +2
As with most relations in that part of the world, it's complicated. Sunni vs Shia. Arab vs Persian. Even the name of the Gulf is loaded with complication.  And there's a history- Iran retains possession of disputed islands that every UAE schoolkid knows the names of. Yet they're neighbours with all kinds of cross-Gulf trade. 
2
_mattm3t May 12, 2026 +7
uae buying russian jets, russia buying iranian shaheds, and ukraine selling uj drones to uae... what comes around comes around.🤔
7
Shag1166 May 12, 2026 +9
There's all kinds of shit going on over there! I was just listening to the Senate hearing with Hegseth and General Caine. Trump is trying to get a trillion, even though there is billions in unscented money still in the budget. Also, China is buying gas from Iran, and Pakistan (the mediator) is allowing Iran to park its jets there. Hegseth is a lying, manipulating, talk show host, and that's back where he should be. He said our NATO had never helped the U.S., as much as we've helped them, and boy did he get slapped-down quick for that bullshit statement. Republicans and Democrats were on him hard about all the bullshit he was tossing out. And it is so f****** annoying that he (they) always have to bring up Biden and Obama!
9
Orwick May 11, 2026 +36
UAE is in for a rough decade. Their oil industry is out of commission for a while. They are losing their status as a playground for global elite. They have been drawn into direct conflict with Iran and they have pissed off the Saudi’s.
36
itchslap May 12, 2026 +11
They left OPEC and were able to directly challenge Saudi Arabia's and Iran's hagemony and interests in the region and you call that a rough decade? If anything, they're punching way above their weight. They have shown Saudi Arabia that they are not beholden to Riyadh's will and they have just retaliated against Tehran's aggression in their country This is like the small kid standing up for himself against 2 larger bullies and showing them that they're not gonna let them boss him around.
11
RelativeLocation6669 May 12, 2026 +3
How the f*** do you ‘secretly attack’ someone?! Surely once you’ve attacked, the nation will be informed?!
3
Gold-Fly40 May 12, 2026 +3
How are they attacking Iran?
3
itchslap May 12, 2026 +5
They have advanced fighter jets.
5
TheRavingDinosaur May 12, 2026 +3
" The United Arab Emirates has ​carried out military ‌strikes on Iran, the Wall ​Street Journal reported ​on Monday, citing ⁠people familiar with ​the matter. The strikes, ​which the UAE has not publicly acknowledged, ​included an ​attack on a refinery on ‌Iran's ⁠Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, WSJ said, ​adding ​that ⁠the attack took place ​in early ​April."
3
Separate-Eagle-575 May 12, 2026 +3
Wouldn’t this be the case for all of the US Arab allies as well? They just want to avoid retaliation.
3
GoslingIchi May 12, 2026 +8
"Reuters ⁠could not immediately verify the report."
8
Terrible_Champion298 May 12, 2026 +6
The drone attack on a UAE port that destroyed oil delivery capability was no mistake. This was early last week or the week before.
6
Mr_Lumbergh May 12, 2026 +4
This isn’t going to end badly *at all*.
4
Independent-Size-258 May 11, 2026 +15
If it doesn't impact any other countries they can have at it.
15
[deleted] May 12, 2026 +12
[removed]
12
DeezNeezuts May 12, 2026 +8
Good everyone dog pile those assholes.
8
Candid_Cat_5921 May 11, 2026 +173
Good. Hopefully they get more equipment to hit Iran harder if they need to. Iran just assumed it could hit and kill civilians in neighboring countries without any response. Usually that doesn’t work out well.
173
lastpassonright May 11, 2026 +69
The UAE is literally funding a genocidal group in Sudan.
69
Bushboy2000 May 11, 2026 +16
UAE wanna get out of the Mid East. New homeland
16
LilyBelle504 May 11, 2026 +43
I guess Iran is attacking the UAE for humanitarian reasons then. Interesting. Too bad they can't apply that same care to their own people's lives.
43
lost-American-81 May 11, 2026 +185
Maybe a better option would have been for the U.S. and Israelis not to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation in the first place?
185
MVP_Legend_87 May 11, 2026 +101
An even better option would have been for Iran not to fund and arm terrorist proxy groups to attack Israel with over the past few decades.
101
[deleted] May 11, 2026 +55
[removed]
55
[deleted] May 11, 2026 +40
[removed]
40
Alarming_Head_4263 May 12, 2026 +9
Yes like right wingers pretending they care about protesters and that groups in the middle east also r*** children, much like the American right wing are covering up. Never mind also that bush worked with afghan warlords who also were known to r*** children...
9
cockadickledoo May 11, 2026 +15
I cringed hard to see progressive Americans fall to Iran's propaganda about Epstein files. Like, do you really think they care?
15
← Back to Board